V:tM - San Francisco

San Francisco Nights

Background Information

1998 - The Kuei-Jin invade Los Angeles and quickly seize large sections of the city. An ongoing threeway war erupts between the kuei-jin, anarchs and local Sabbat forces

1999 – July 7th – July 14th - There is a global outbreak of nightmares among supernaturals as well as insane and psychically sensitive mortals. The majority of these nightmares involved impending doom and those with prophetic powers were haunted by visions of the end times.

1999 – July 15th - A bright red star appears in the skies. This is heralded as a sign that Gehenna is close at hand. The ranks of the Sabbat swell with defectors and new recruits.

1999 – July – December - Conflict between the Camarilla and Sabbat escalate wildly culminating in several masquerade breaching open battles in December. The rise of the Antedeluvians was at hand, Caine was returning to discipline his errant brood.

1999 – August - The last anarchs in LA manage to repulse a strangle weakened final assault from the kuei jin invaders. Following this battle an uneasy peace descended as the Kuei Jin ceases their expansion and consolidated their holdings.

1999 – December 16th - Something terrible was discovered in the sewers of New York. The Tzimisce elder Lambach Ruthven declared it to be the Eldest, that Lugoj had been an Antedeluvian in disguise and that both Sects in New York needed to join together to destroy him before he awoke from his fleshy chrysallis.

1999 – December 18th - Lambach’s message raced through the Sabbat and a large pack quickly assembled, including several Camarilla and Independent kindred drawn by the chance to feed upon an antediluvian.

1999 – December 31st - Supernatural conflict worldwide reaches it’s apogee, even the most secular monsters awaited their prophesied end. Nothing had been heard of Lambach or his followers.

2000 – March - The red star becomes visible to mortals and is classified as a comet by NASA.

By this point the majority of supernaturals have realised that a) they jumped the gun or b) maybe their myths and prophecies were wrong. The fact that Gehenna had been “proved” false, in conjunction with Lambach’s claims about Lugoj nearly shattered the Sabbat. Never particularly cohesive the sect shattered as individuals defected and internal organisations such as The True Black Hand distanced themselves. Numerous internal conflicts erupted further destabilising the sect.

The Camarilla re-affirmed their stance that Gehenna was a myth and took advantage of the Sabbat’s paralysing in-fighting to reclaim territory and make welcome any defectors who wished to join the ivory tower.

2000 – June - Camarilla investigators discovered Lambach deep in the sewers of New York, staked and in torpor, the word “Wrong” carved into his forehead. The sewer channel’s surrounding him were packed with rotting flesh. There were no signs of the kindred who had accompanied him.

2000 – July - Following several months of negotiations betweens the Camarilla’s Inner Circle and the new leader of the kuei jin an agreement is reached. The Camarilla will cede LA to the New Promise Mandrinate and compensate them for the expenses incurred in recovering the city from the anarchs. The final peace summit occurred in San Francisco. During the meeting unknown assailants attacked but were successfully drive of by an attending Tremere archon. But not before the Prince was driven into torpor. The negotiations were a success. Though the New Promise Mandrinate used the attack to justify moving “peace keeping” forces into San Francisco to protect it’s indigenous kuei jin population. In return for a reduction in their compensation several areas of the city were placed under the kuei jin’s control.

2001 – 2011 - The last decade has been marked by a cold war between the Camarilla and the New Promise Mandrinate to gain the upper hand in controlling San Francisco. Any open conflict on either side would violate the peace agreement leading to open conflict which neither side finds acceptable. As such the majority of the conflict has been conducted through proxies both mortal and otherwise. There have been a few “Hot Wars” over the years, but they are quickly hushed up and their instigators punished or rewarded appropriately.

Open conflict does seem more and more inevitable. Even a city as wildly rich as San Francisco is feeling the pinch from the global downturn. As a major financial resource for both the Camarilla and the New Promise Mandrinate it seems certain that ownership of San Francisco will need to be decided.

The Camarilla has been slowly funnelling potent kindred into San Francisco in order to prepare for this upcoming conflict. Starting with making Sara Van Wilder the Prince and ending or continuing with your characters.

2011 – June - Wormwood (the red star that supposedly heralded Gehenna) winked put of existence, or at least out of sight.

2011 – October - The yearly meeting between the New Promise Mandrinate and the Camarilla in order to demonstrate good relations is coming up. Attendance isnt mandatory but sort of really is.